Hi
This is a short introduction to a technique I got from an installment of
Larry Coryell's old Guitar Player magazine column "Contemporary Guitar,"
called "Lenny's Lesson." "Lenny" refers to Lenny Breau, a wonderful player
who died in 1984 (I think he was murdered).
Note: Standard tuning is assumed.
Dextrocentric note: I have assumed the left hand is the fretting hand and
the right hand is the picking hand.
When done smoothly and correctly, this technique is pretty impressive
sounding. It sounds like a harp or a scale figure played in all harmonics.
The right hand is what makes or breaks this technique. The first thing to
try is this: pick strings 6 through 1 in order with your thumb (or
thumbpick). Now do the same thing, but at the same moment that you pick the
string, extend your (right-hand) index finger straight toward the nut and
lightly touch the string at the 12th fret (Ex.1). You should get a harmonic
on each of the strings. I have indicated the notes that are played this way
by placing an "x" under the note:
Ex.1
|---------------------------0--
|----------------------0----x--
|-----------------0----x-------
|------------0----x------------
|-------0----x-----------------
|--0----x----------------------
x
which sounds like
|---------------------------12-
|----------------------12------
|-----------------12-----------
|------------12----------------
|-------12---------------------
|--12--------------------------
It's best to hold the right-hand index finger pretty straight, pointing more
or less toward the nut. It's important to have a good distance (4 - 5 cm)
between the picking point (thumb nail or thumbpick) and the harmonic "touch
point" on the string.
The next thing to try is to put some non-harmonic notes in the sequence
(Ex.2). The harmonics are still picked with the thumb, with the first finger
touching the string at the 12th fret. The non-harmonic notes are picked with
either the ring finger (Lenny did it this way) or the little finger (Coryell
and I do it this way). Either way, it's a fairly tough right-hand technique,
but it's worth taking the time to get used to it.
Ex.2
|---------------------------------0------
|----------------------0-----------------
|-----------0-------------------------0--
|--0-------------------------0--------x--
|-----------------0----------x-----------
|------0----------x----------------------
x
This should give D E G A B D E G - an ascending (G or Em) pentatonic
scale-wise figure, with the notes overlapping one another. This overlapping
is a lot of what gives this technique its sound. This figure can also be
thought of as a very close-voiced G6/9 or Em11 or Am11 (or whatever :^)
arpeggio. Now do it up and down:
Ex.3
|-----------------------------0-------0---------------------------|
|--------------------0------------------------0-------------------|
|-----------0---------------------0-------------------0-----------|
|--0---------------------0--------x-------0--------------------0--|
|----------------0-------x----------------x-------0---------------|
|------0---------x--------------------------------x--------0------|
x x
Isn't that nice? The point is that from a fourths and major-third-based
tuning, we get a scale _without fretting any notes_. In effect, we're using
harmonics to shift the low notes into the higher octave. Now try this:
Ex.4
|-----------------------------2-------2---------------------------|
|--------------------0------------------------0-------------------|
|-----------0---------------------0-------------------0-----------|
|--0---------------------0--------x-------0--------------------0--|
|----------------0-------x----------------x-------0---------------|
|------0---------x--------------------------------x--------0------|
x x
Check out the lovely half-step dissonance that happens between the F# and G.
You can apply this harp-harmonics technique to many chords - you just have
to make sure that you touch the string 12 frets above the fret to get the
harmonic.
Try to use the technique on this (pretty tense) chord, using the same
picking pattern as in Ex.4:
Ex.5
C7#9#5
______
||||||
++++++
||o|||
++++++
oo|o||
++++++
||||oo
++++++
It'll take a little more concentration to make sure that your harmonic touch
point is exactly 12 frets above the fretted note. Basically, you'll be
"tracing" part of the chord shape with your right-hand index finger, 12
frets above your fretting hand.
Another point about this technique: It is not really effective with simple
chords that contain octaves, e.g.
Ex.6
C
______
||||o|
++++++
||o|||
++++++
oo||||
++++++
The octaves in this chord will just produce unisons when the harp-harmonic
technique is applied. Harp harmonics are best with extended and/or altered
chords. It also works best with chords of at least 5 notes. But your mileage
may vary.
Now here's one that may take a little while to get under your fingers: a
descending and ascending G lydian (E dorian, whatever) mode figure. This
incorporates the downward part of Ex. 4 with pull-offs (p) and hammer-ons
(h).
Ex.7
|-----2-p0------------------------------0-h2--- repeat
|-------------2-p0------------0-h2-------------
|--0-------------------0-----------------------
|--x-------0------------------------0----------
|----------x-------0-------0--------x----------
|------------------x-------x-------------------
This fills out the pentatonic scale to produce a seven-note scale. These
kinds of scale figures/arpeggios can be constructed at will. You'll
eventually get a feel for the pattern-nature of this technique. You can see
that the left-hand fingerings I have shown (and these are pretty much the
ones I use with this technique) are not very hard - it's the right hand that
takes some work. And remember that these scale figures can be thought of a
close-voiced arpeggios. Just mess with it some and have fun.
Here are some more (6-string) chord shapes that work well with this
technique. I have left out the chord names.
______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______
|ooo|| ||oo|| ||oo|| ||o||| ||o||| ||o||| ooo||| ||||o| ||o||o
++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++
|||||| |o||o| oo||oo oo|ooo oo|oo| oo|o|o |||o|| |||||o oo|oo|
++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++
|||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||o ||||o| ||||oo |||||| ||||||
++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++ ++++++
This is about as far as I have pursued this technique. Much more is possible
- listen to Larry Coryell or Lenny Breau and you'll see what I mean.
OK, now everyone go home and wear yourselves out on this stuff this weekend
;^)
As always, if there are any mistakes or questions, email me (at
fbparker@hiwaay.net
Enjoy
-Bo Parker
fbparker@hiwaay.net
Me
Not my employer (whoever that is)
Me, me, me